Author Spotlight: FairyFloss01

Heh heh heh. Anyhoo-I found this gals story Dead Wrong a while back and I feel in love with her and her writing. Since then I’ve voraciously devoured everything she’s written…and it’s all pretty damn awesome. So, let’s hear what she’s got to say.

Let’s start with an introduction. I’m Kelly, or as more people know me, Kelpie.
And you are?
Fairyfloss otherwise known as Fairyfloss01 on fanfic (because Fairyfloss was already taken—dammit!) Real name Lisa, which I had always hated.

So, tell me a little about yourself.
Australian living in Hong Kong for about ten years now. Married, no kids yet and I am in awe of all those fanfic authors who have families and find time to write. Hats off to all of you!

What do you do with yourself when you’re not writing?
I’m a freelance writer, so I do write a lot, apart from that I looooove TV shows and movies. I cook and I’m also a bit of a foodie, so I love going out and trying new restaurants in town when I can afford it.

What are some things you never leave home without?
The practical and boring answer would be my phone because my life revolves around everything I have on there now, I would go home from work to get my phone if I found out I had forgotten it.
A less boring answer would be my mini make-up kit because you never know when you might need a quick touch-up.

What are some of your favorite (non-SVM) books?
To Kill a Mockingbird and Pride and Prejudice are old favourites I read at least once a year. Recent favourites are Ferdinand von Schirach’s Crime and The Collini Case. I’m a major crime buff and his story telling is absolutely magnificent. I read Marc Acito’s How I Paid for College a few years ago on a plane ride back home and it was hilarious. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing out loud so I didn’t disturb the other passengers.

Favorite (non-True Blood) TV shows and movies?
So many to choose from, let me see. The Wire has to be my all-time favourite because the story telling was uninhibited and honest about the society we live in. I’m really into The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones at the moment, brilliant cast and fantastic production and I can’t wait for the final of season of Breaking Bad.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and had 3 famous people with you, who would you choose and why?
Michael Fassbender, because he’s so sexy and intelligent.
Guillermo del Toro because I want to make up scary monsters and stories with him.
Prince Harry, firstly because he’d have survivalist training in the military, but most importantly, the British government would move heaven and hell to find him and save the rest of us too.

What is 1 place you’d love to visit?
Definitely Tibet. There are a lot of visa restrictions when visiting Tibet at the moment, making it very restricted and doubly expensive for foreign passport holders to go there. It’s my unicorn at the moment.

Do you have any pet peeves?
Small dots all bunched together totally gives me the heeby jeebies. I could claw my own eyes out when I see the inside of an ant hill or bee hive.

Tell me one random thing about yourself.
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping and love roller coasters. I can’t wait to go to Six Flags on my next visit to LA.

Just for some insight into you pick one. Feel free to tell why or not.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate but only dark, vanilla before milk chocolate. Now I’m getting neurotic over a simple questionSilver or gold? Gold – only because I hate polishing silverApple or PC? PCWhite wine or red wine? RedLiquor or beer? Wine is fine but liquor is quicker (always wanted to say that)Coffee or tea? CoffeeSleep in or get up early? Definitely get up early. I hate waking up late and the day is nearly over.

Okay, now for the good stuff.
Why and when did you start writing fanfics?
I finished Dead and Gone and got an inkling that CH may not intend for Sookie to end up with Eric. My mind was working tirelessly on a way to make their relationship stick and I ended up writing Dead Wrong.

Besides SVM/True Blood, is there another book, TV show or movie that you would write for?
I actually started writing for the Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Grey. But with my writing speed I wouldn’t post anything until I’m finished anymore as I’d hate to disappoint readers again.

What kind of environment do you write in? Do you prefer using a pen and paper, a computer or some sort of mobile device to write?
Real estate is very expensive in Hong Kong and we don’t have much space. My PC tower is linked to the TV in the living room which also explains why I’ve had so little time to write because I can only do it when nobody’s watching the TV. If I had all the time in the world and wouldn’t wrinkle with age I would write pen to paper and then type it out. The story gets so much better when I retype it. It’s uncanny.

Ever write in your PJs?
Occasionally, when I wake up and get the bug, but I usually change into home clothes pretty quickly so I don’t get food crumbs on my PJs.

How bout naked? :o)
I wish I had the healthy body image to do so, but I don’t.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories? Do you pull your real life experiences into your writing?
I like my characters to go through a lot more than I ever will, so unfortunately I’d have to imagine what they’re going through. But I try to get into the headspace of the situation I’ve put them in to write the story and sometimes that could get very emotional for me. I hope I’m making sense here.

Do you write on a schedule? If you do, how do you keep to that schedule?
No. Maybe I should start keeping one…

Do you plan out your stories or just write whatever comes to you?
I know exactly what’s going to happen and how the story ends when I start writing. How the plot develops and the character development may change but the foundations are laid when I start. I don’t deviate from what I set out to do.

How do you deal with potential writers block?
I start writing something else and since I’ve become a freelance writer that seems to be all I’m doing at the moment.

Do you have any writing rituals or superstitions?
I want to make up something interesting to tell here, like writing naked on the full moon, but you already asked me about that – doh!

Is one genre easier for you to write than another? Is there anything that you just aren’t that great at writing?
I love taking a darker twist on things. When I was in high school I started a writing relay with a little boy going to his sitter and wanted to show her something. When he took her to his potty, little people started coming out of it. The class had no idea how to continue that story and thought I was nuts.
I find that romance is tough stuff! I think all my romantic scenes are so third rate compared to what’s out there in the fanfic world. It takes a certain magic to build romantic tension to a point and release it in a way that isn’t overdone or corny.

What is the hardest part for you about writing fanfics?
I’ve only published canon so far and keeping true to the character voice and the universe it is written in was difficult since my story took a tangent after book 9. The Sookie Stackhouse Companion is so helpful in this aspect.

Is there a method for coming up with titles for your stories and/or chapters?
After you write the story the titles really come naturally. I had an entirely different name for Dead Man Walking until I finished the first chapter.

Which character do you identify with the most?
In the SVM universe, Pam. I admire her strong character and no bullshit attitude.

Which of your stories is your favorite to write and why? Which of your stories is your favorite concept wise?
My favourite has to be A Vampire’s Carol, the creative urge that drove me to write that was very fluid and I hardly had to make any edits. I really loved the way it turned out. Conceptually, I have a special connection with What Happens in Haiti. I did a bucket load of research when I was writing that one, but in the end only a small part of it appeared in the story. It was well worth it in the end and I learnt a lot.

Do you talk to your family about your writing? How do they feel about it?
My immediate family knows of me writing, I occasionally discuss plots and concepts with my husband but I’m too chicken to show him my fiction writing. He’s read my other published stuff though.

Which is your favorite SVM book? Favorite True Blood episode?
Book 4 of course! I really loved how amnesiac Eric was released from the shackles of his own character to love Sookie, but we also knew it wouldn’t last because Eric is not himself—extremely bittersweet. Even when they were together in the later books, the relationship between Eric and Sookie isn’t the same as Eric is too bogged down by the politics and society he is part of. The real Eric will not run away with Sookie.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received on your stories?
Apart from this interview? Any feedback that people are looking forward to my story or that my words had occupied anybody’s thoughts is enough.

How do you deal with the inevitable criticism?
It certainly is upsetting when you receive comment by somebody who doesn’t agree with you, but if you live by the sword you die by the sword and you can only let it affect you so much. I know what I’m going to write about anyway so if it’s not constructive criticism, I just keep going on doing my own thing.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
I don’t know… I’m still an aspiring writer myself. To all of those reading and would like to write, just do it. The fanfiction sites are full of supportive people who will help you develop and grow as a writer. You can only get better as you go. I know there are loads more for me to learn.

Have any recommendations? What are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading Cloud Atlas and 1Q84 at the moment. Cloud Atlas is captivating in a sense you know you’re on a ride but you don’t know where it’s taking you and 1Q84 is a detailed and very beautifully written mystery that takes a while to develop. Two different books for different moods.

Not much going on there tho… but this interview will hopefully reignite things.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions!

So, as always, I hope the twitter link works since I don’t have one and am not going to make one t o verify it. Sigh. The world of social media and me only meshes so far. :o) So, go read her stuff and leave her love!